A powerful Monday, Jan. 11 card at Dover Downs featured a handful of standout performances from Speed Again, Captive Audience, driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Eric Ell.
Speed Again stepped up in ranks to win for the second straight outing, rolling down the passing lane for Yannick Gingras en route to a 1:51.1 victory in the $30,000 top pace of the week. It was one of two wins for trainer and part owner Ron Burke's Burke Racing -- one with Weaver Bruscemi, and one for partner RTC Stables. The Dragon Again-Sand Speed gelding was followed by Major Uptrend (Corey Callahan) and Dapper Dude (Tim Tetrick), who closed well for third.
Callahan made good use of leaving from post 1 chalking up his second win on the card, a 1:50.2 front-end performance in the $27,500 Delaware Special behind CAptive Audience. Al Carter and trainer Doug Lewis own the six-year-old son of Art Major-Captiva Island who won for the 12th time in his career earning $632,710. Bad Boy Matt (Allan Davis) went a big trip to finish second. Little Ben (Tetrick) came on for third.
Gingras, who has had hot nights at the track in recent Mondays, drove four winners. Two of the wins came with Eric Ell trainees. Beavercreek Artist, a 1:51.2 wire-to-wire winner in a $20,000 Claiming Male Allowance and Jeremes General, in 1:51.3 winning a $15,000 Male claimer, both also owned by Ken Wood, Bill Dittmar and Steve Iaquinta.
Gingras and trainer Eric Ell were deprived of another win when Adventure Bound finished first in 1:51 in a $14,500 Male Winners-Over pace but was disqualified for pacing inside four pylons while in the stretch. Mike Hill’s Eridanus N, a veteran McArdle- Kurahaupo Dream gelding, finished second at 26-1 odds and was placed first for driver Ross Wolfenden and trainer Joe Hunderpfund. Papa Ray (A.Davis) was placed second with Adventure Bound placed third.
Class Six gave Gingras his fourth win, a 1:52.2 decision in a $15,000 pace for young horses. The Western Ideal-Can Du River gelding is trained by Burke for Weaver Bruscemi and Burke Racing Stable. It was the five-year-old’s second straight victory and seventh in his last eight starts. Apollo Seelster (Jonathan Roberts) was next in front of Beat Of NY (A.Davis).
Soto, reined by Vic Kirby, won a $12,000 Male pace in 1:51, to give Ell and owners Wood, Dittmar and Iaquina, their third wins on the program
Blazing Bobby Sox, piloted by trainer Art Stafford Jr. won for the fourth time in his last five races fashioning a 1:52.2 score in a $15,000 4&5-Year-Old pace. Totally Dreamy (George Dennis) was runner-up in front of Quick Shot (Tony Morgan).
FASHION SHOWDOWN, SCANDALICIOUS, ELLIESJET N IN $20,000 OPEN
Seven top distaffers battle it out in this week’s $20,000 Mares Open pace led by last week’s upset winner Fashion Showdown on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at Dover Downs. Post time is 4:30 p.m.
Chris White’s Fashion Showdown has been an Open regular all meet but raised to top of the list last week when Ross Wolfenden drove her to a 1:51.3 longshot win at 35-1 odds. JFE Enterprise’s Scandalicious finished a head back and will be driven by Tim Tetrick. Howard Taylor’s Shine N Shimmer and Corey Callahan may have put in the biggest trip, racing outside on the backstretch to get the lead and hold on for third only a neck behind.
Bamond Racing’s Nefertiti Bluechip closed strongly for Brett Miller to finish fourth in her first start in nearly a month. Last Tuesday marked the end of Elliesjet N’s eight-race win streak since arriving from New Zealand for owners Barry Spennen, Kevin Evans, trainer Josh Parker and Nanticoke Racing. Her regular driver is Art Stafford Jr. The race favourite last week was the highly regarded Jerseylicious, reined by Allan Davis for Pam Curran, Niel Gargiulo and Legacy Racing. Jeff Clark’s Springforth and George Dennis made her local debut and starts from post 1.
A strong undercard is topped by a $15,500 Four- & Five-Year-Old Mares pace. One of the nine starters was a winner last time, Eric Becker’s Flying Nun (Tyler Davis) who steps up in class and leaves from post 9 in the second tier. Gary Ewing’s Sweet Bobbie (Callahan) and Fashion Rocker (Wolfenden) are the race favourites.
Monday through Thursday weekday racing begins at p.m. 4:30 p.m. Dover Downs is dark on Friday and Saturday. Live racing resumes Sunday, post time is 5:30 p.m.
(with files from Dover)